Kerala, which scripted history by becoming the first state to achieve total literacy in 1991, is now preparing to cross another milestone.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to announce that more than 99% of the population has attained digital literacy, marking the completion of the first phase of the Digi Keralam project today.
Digi Keralam began in 2021 at Pullampara panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram, aiming to bridge the widening digital divide. Surveys identified people of all ages who had little or no access to smartphones or digital tools. Volunteers then trained them on simple but essential skills—making voice and video calls, using WhatsApp, browsing social media, and accessing government services online.
By September 2022, Pullampara was declared digitally literate, setting the stage for a state-wide roll-out. The programme eventually surveyed more than 83 lakh people. Over 2 lakh volunteers, including students, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, and Kudumbasree workers, carried out the mammoth task.
The project’s expansion to tribal and remote areas such as Attappadi, Parambikulam, and Edamalakkudy highlighted Kerala’s layered approach. Where mobile connectivity was absent, digital literacy classes were conducted offline, often with videos in native languages. Kudumbashree volunteers trekked through forest routes, covering villages separated by several kilometres.
The state also built a dedicated mobile app and web portal to map households and identify people who required training. This helped avoid overlaps and ensured accurate targeting of beneficiaries.
Like any social experiment, Digi Keralam had its challenges. Patchy mobile connectivity, Covid restrictions, limited funding, and the reluctance of elderly citizens to adapt to new technology slowed progress in many areas. Despite these barriers, the participatory approach and localised methods seem to have kept the programme moving.
Officials indicate that Digi Keralam 2.0 will focus on building awareness about cyber security, digital rights, and data protection. The goal is to create a community that not only uses digital services but also does so cautiously and confidently.